【Text by Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】On August 30 local time, Russian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gerasimov addressed his deputies at the Ministry of Defense and stated that the Russian military is launching "continuous offensives" along almost the entire 1,000 km front line between Russia and Ukraine, and has gained "strategic initiative." "The combined forces continue to conduct continuous attacks along almost the entire front line. Currently, the strategic initiative is completely in the hands of the Russian army," he said.

Gerasimov stated that since March this year, Russia has controlled more than 3,500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory and occupied 149 settlements. A Ukrainian military official on August 27 stated that Russian forces had broken through the Dnipropetrovsk region in southeastern Ukraine, advancing into the eighth province of Ukraine, possibly aiming to enhance Kremlin's negotiation leverage. Gerasimov, however, said that Russian forces have so far occupied seven settlements in Dnipropetrovsk.

However, Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for the Dnipro Operational-Strategic Grouping of Forces (OSGF) responsible for the eastern direction, stated that the Ukrainian army has achieved victories on the front line, not only preventing Russian forces from capturing the Donetsk region but also curbing their further advance into the Dnipropetrovsk region. He also mentioned that the Ukrainian army has surrounded Russian forces in a certain area.

Regarding the statements from both sides, Reuters reported on August 30 local time and emphasized that it is currently impossible to independently verify the reports from either side.

On July 14, 2025, a video screenshot released by the Russian Ministry of Defense showed Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defense (far right), visiting the command post of the "Central" group army in the special military operation zone. Video screenshot

Reuters reported that during this summer, Russia has intensified air strikes on towns far from the front line in Ukraine and continued to launch fierce offensives in most areas of the east, trying to seize more territory in the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has lasted for three and a half years.

On August 30 local time, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of the village of Komyshuvakha in the central part of the Donetsk region. However, the Ukrainian military does not recognize that the village has "changed hands" and claims it is one of several locations where Ukrainian forces counterattacked Russian attacks.

Gerasimov stated that in spring and summer this year, Russia conducted 76 targeted strikes on Ukrainian military facilities, focusing on destroying long-range missile systems and the production bases of drones.

He stated that Russia currently controls 99.7% of the land in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, 79% of the land in the eastern part of the Donetsk region, 74% of the land in the Zaporozhye region, and 76% of the land in the Kherson region.

Meanwhile, OSGF spokesperson Trehubov stated that Russia has deployed a large number of troops to the Donetsk region, but has failed to capture key objectives including the cities of Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Chasiv Yar in recent months.

"Despite Russia's active actions and successfully suppressing Ukrainian positions in some areas, Russia has not achieved a rapid victory," he added. He also said that Russian forces are surrounded near Dobropillya north of Pokrovsk, while the Ukrainian army has reoccupied the village of Myrne near Kupiansk further north, which is another area where Russian activities have been frequent.

According to a report by Associated Press on August 30 local time, Ivan Fedorov, governor of the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine, stated that Russia launched a large-scale attack on southern Ukraine on the same day, attacking a five-story residential building in the Zaporozhye region, causing at least one civilian death and 28 injuries, including children.

The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 537 attack drones and decoy missiles, as well as 45 missiles, and the Ukrainian military shot down or destroyed 510 drones and decoy missiles, as well as 38 missiles.

Two days earlier, on the early morning of August 28 local time, Russia launched an air strike on Kyiv using missiles and drones. The Ukrainian side stated that the attack resulted in at least 25 deaths. Zelenskyy claimed that the Russian attack was the second-largest offensive since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, with EU, UK, Turkey, and Azerbaijani institutions and enterprises in Ukraine being affected.

Zelenskyy accused Moscow of undermining diplomatic efforts to push for a ceasefire, stating that the Russian attacks were an "explicit response" to calls for a ceasefire, and urged the West to continue pressuring Moscow. The Russian side, however, refuted that its targets were all Ukrainian military facilities and airbases. The Kremlin insisted that Russia still intended to promote peace talks.

In response, Ukraine's European allies quickly issued calls and condemnations. However, the reaction of the Trump administration in the United States was surprisingly calm, which has raised concerns among allies.

On August 28 local time, White House press secretary Levitt, when asked about the attack, stated that Trump was "not happy, but not surprised" about the recent developments in the Russia-Ukraine situation. She said that Trump is "closely watching" the situation and further implied that the Russian attack was a "reasonable response" to Ukraine's attack on a Russian oil refinery last month.

"Perhaps neither side is ready to end the conflict on its own. The president wants it to end, but the leaders of both countries also need it to end, and they certainly want it to end," Levitt said.

A senior White House official revealed that Trump is seriously considering withdrawing from diplomatic efforts until one or both sides show greater flexibility. The official said, "We will stand by and watch. Let them fight for a while and see what happens."

On August 28, 2025, in Kyiv, Ukraine, emergency responders search for survivors after Russian nighttime bombing. Visual China

According to a report by ABC on August 30 local time, U.S. President Trump hinted during an interview with the news website "Daily Caller" on August 29 that Zelenskyy and Putin are unlikely to hold a bilateral meeting, but he said a trilateral meeting with both of them "will take place," without specifying the exact time.

"A trilateral meeting may take place. I don't know if a bilateral meeting will take place, but a trilateral meeting will definitely happen. But you know, sometimes people aren't ready yet," Trump said. He also mentioned that he is willing to use U.S. military aircraft as security guarantees to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Two weeks after the conclusion of the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska, there has been little progress in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Some of Trump's aides are frustrated, believing that the blame should be attributed to the European allies rather than Trump or even Russian President Putin.

According to an exclusive report by Axios on August 30 local time, White House officials accused some European leaders of publicly supporting Trump's efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict while secretly trying to undermine the progress made behind the scenes since the Alaska summit. Therefore, the White House is losing patience with them, believing that these European leaders are encouraging Ukraine to demand "unrealistic territorial concessions" from Russia.

Although Europeans see this as urging Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to achieve a "better agreement," Trump's inner circle believes that such extreme approaches exacerbate the conflict.

A senior White House official told Axios: "Europeans can't prolong the conflict while secretly creating unrealistic expectations, and at the same time expect the U.S. to bear the cost. If Europe wants to escalate the conflict, it will be their decision, but they will be defeated from the edge of victory."

"Achieving an agreement is an art of possibility," said the senior White House official: "But some Europeans are still stuck in fairy-tale fantasies, ignoring the fact that a tango requires two people to dance."

On August 28 local time, another U.S. media outlet, The Atlantic, also published an article stating that according to multiple sources, the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe are deeply dissatisfied with the new stalemate. On one hand, European officials expressed confusion and tension over what consensus has been reached between the U.S. and Russia; on the other hand, Trump has been furious in recent days, impatient with the Russia-Ukraine stalemate, and believes that Ukraine and Europe's territorial and security demands are "unrealistic."

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7544641923017998867/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and readers are welcome to express their opinions by clicking the [Up/Down] buttons below.